[Closed] Cycling knee pain woes

Months more than weeks unfortunately, maybe never.  The only thing that ever kept mine at bay was learning to cycle at a higher cadence, and that took a while too.

GP isn't going to be any help unless you strike it lucky and they have a particular interest in something about this.

However, try lots of things, something might work for you. When I had something similar, it was a combination of shorter cranks, core strengthening and some 3D running analysis that identified a weak glute in one side and a strengthening program to correct that.

It took 6 months before I could get back on the bike with a strapped up achey knee 🙁

At the time the only exercise I did was cycling. I've since taken up Teakwon-do and along with the stretching required my knees don't need to be strapped  up and are mostly pain free.

I had something similar caused by a misaligned spd cleat. It hurt all the time after 20 mile in spd’s and even when I rode flats it aggravated it, but was not as painful.

i road my road bike with flats until it calmed down, aligned my cleat correctly and nothing since.

might be of some use.

Is your bike set up correctly? I noticed that I would always get knee pain when I used my spin bike (but not my real bike), until I adjusted the set up- both correct saddle height and distance from the bars.

Look up anterior knee pain and prepare to be depressed.

It sounds like you have had an assement from a physio but not been back again?

If it is a tendinopathy,those who have already posted are correct and it can be months rather than weeks.

I had agrivation with my quads tendon at the end of 2017 when I took up Mountain biking again as a change from the road.

A year later I am back to cycling regularly after a combination of rest, Quad strengthening excersises, massage and Ultrasound treatment

<i>H</i>ad some knee pain, turns out my seat post had slipped

I had bad pain on the right hand side of my kneecap when I did a torq in your sleep some years ago - had got myself reasonably fit before as well.

I also get dull aches around the other parts of the knee. it has also felt quite unstable (right knee).

Went to a physio who set me off doing one legged squats.

Didn't cycle much last year, only on the turbo really.

Just had an MRI to confirm that there is nothing bad or worn, which there isn't but there is some ligament damage on the inside of the knee, so back on doing one legged squats, which seem to work best.

The physio guy I am seeing at the moment prefers me to do two legged squats but they don't seem to be as effective.

If I do one legged squats and keep my hips level (important) then the muscle on the inside of the knee and my minor buttock muscle get worked quite hard - I do this and then combine it with walking up and down the 9 flights of stairs at work regularly. Then my knee feels much more stable and any pain or aches are much less or gone.

Earlier in the summer I also tried to concentrate on getting the muscles at the back of my legs to work more so I wasn't pressuring my quads so much. This has worked as I can climb many more stairs before breaking into a sweat now.

Back to physio for you.  Could be months off 🙁

Sharp pain? Outside of the knee? Comes on after about 30 min to an hour?  Yes to these says Illio-tibial band inflammation.

Lower your saddle a cm and move it forward on the rails about half as much. It’s a common over extension injury.

until I adjusted the set up- both correct saddle height

^ This, at least for me. If I ride for long with my saddle set too low I get anterior pain. I find that higher cadence helps avoid problems too as someone else has mentioned above, but correct saddle height is the more important.

https://singletrackmag.com/forum/topic/knee-pain-while-riding-where-to-start/

Thanks everybody so back to the physio it is.

Didn't realise it could be months before I could ride again. Really annoying was at the fittest I have been on the bike and was hoping I could continue to build on that. Back to square one 🙁

Everyone´s different so I don't know if this will help. Its just what helped me. I was suffering from sore knees after riding and was struggling with stairs etc.

1. Changed my saddle. I should have done a full bike fit but its not available near me. I was lucky enough to have a Specialized guy riding with us and he did a saddle fit for me. This really helped.

2. Oval chainrings. I use the Absolute Black ones. Again a big difference but not solved.

3. Yoga. I'm pretty stiff, especially the hips. Opening up my hips really was the final piece of the puzzle for me and completely stopped my knee pain for the moment. Its a lot of work, for me at least, and was a couple of months before I started to see a difference.

Like I say just some things I've found. Everyone is different and you need to listen to your body / get pro help where needed.

Well in my case my knee pain was due to a back pain. It was a bit of a revelation to see the physio working on my back to relieve the knee pain.

Nearly eight years with moderate to severe knee pain here.

I spent some time a few years ago taking an exploratory route via GP - physiotherapist - knee specialist (MRI scan) - back to physio. All resulting in a big fat nothing.

I had almost given up cycling completely over the last two years until last summer when I embraced the natural movement exercise philosophy. After much discussion with my brother in law who is a very learned sports therapist, we came to the conclusion that strengthening the knee joint in all directions with gentle exercise might be the only least worse option.

Lots of tree climbing, light (mostly steep uphill) trail running on severe terrain, slacklining, yoga and callisthenics and I very comfortably managed 40 pain free miles of mixed riding over two days last July.

Having completely slacked off on the strengthening programme during autumn, I managed to hurt myself again on an intense SS ride last week, but seem to have healed fairly quickly with a lesson learned regarding maintaining a more holistic approach to exercise.

Sorry if I missed this, but is it on a road bike?

If so I'd suggest seeing a physio who specialises in cycling (and does bike fitting).

I went here and would recommend them... http://www.njdsportsinjuries.co.uk/

I had a few months of knee pain last year...according to Google it was cartilage which was depressing. Finally got refered to a bloke that visits my gp, he was a cyclist and also specialized in knee stuff. Told me right away it wasn't cartilage. Then told me to stretch hams and glutes (standard stuff I guess) also single leg dips very very slowly concetraiting on the down. At the same time I was doing various glutes excersises and lots of foam rolling. Anyway I'm fine now, but I have no idea which of the above did the trick.

This was last winter, was getting coaching so was doing pretty much all my work on the turbo...a lot of which was very hard sessions. Probably overuse injury.

Basically get it looked at or you could go on for years with an unessesery knee problem...or make it worse...or worry yourself to death

I’d also recommend a pedal/cleat fit.

My wife has lots of knee problems & hs has multiple arthroscopies over the years. She has real issues putting power down on bike & ‘hovering’ over saddle with bent knees.

Along with a bike fit she has had both her road & mtb pedal cleats fitted for her. They have varying levels of shins under the cleats, in foot beds etc to change the way her knee moves through the pedal stroke. It’s made an amazing difference to her ability to ride both in terms of technical difficulties and in duration.

She’ll never get back to podiums at enduro races, her knees are too borked for that but can at least now do 30-40’mile off road loops etc & still walk the next day.

Just listened to a Velonews podcast about cycling injuries. Their number 1 tip is get a bikefit done - plenty people out there now doing professional fits not just out to sell you a shorter stem and new bars...

My knees were playing up at the beginning of the summer to the extent I thought I may not ride again ... It coincided with a holiday that gave me 10 days off and also time to think.

I realised I'd be messing with the saddle position - mainly higher but literally only by 5mm and put it back to where it originated from and it solved the issue.

Murphy's law though in the last couple of weeks my replaced hip which was done about 45 years ago and has been fine for 1 1/2 yrs has got really bad 🙁

overuse injury tendonitis

I had a similar diagnosis a couple of years back. I find keeping hydrated helps a lot, as does wearing knee warmers and 3/4 length shorts in all but the hottest weather. MTB I wear knee pads so no need for knee warmers.

A physio friend recommended adjusting pedal technique to push the pedals using glutes to drive my upper legs which puts a lot less strain through the knee.

Is it your right knee?

I have/had pain the right Knee also, my left knee is solid as a rock Why I wonder, I've had this off and on for a few years, I don't think it helps changing bikes too often. I lowered the saddle after some rear outside pain and it cured it for 6 months (hybird bike) and just this week its came back big time and had to walk home, the very next day I changed to 170mm cranks Result No pain.

I'm wondering how you do a Poll on here? I want to know if you've had or have cycling related Knee Pain in your Left or Right knee or a combination of both.

Had IT band issues in left knee. Classic situation of pain starting after about an hour and getting progressively worse until no longer able to pedal. Turns out was to do with bad lower back and the compensation for that in my posture putting it under tension. Having sorted most of the issues in back, knee is a lot better. Also get occasional pains at top of kneecap in both legs, usually after a long ride and often noticed when going up/down stairs. My mate who is a sports masseuse says it is caused primarily by the glutes and she's right in that stretching and massaging them makes a difference. All apropos of nothing of course, but there's a lot of energy and power that goes through the knees and often working on surrounding muscles and tendons can make a big difference.
Hope you get it sorted, knee pain is a horrible thing!

I get it in both, oddly my right knee went whilst walking up some stairs earlier. First time in ages, I'm blaming this thread 😉

So back from the physio I don't think i was paying full attention first time round its the tendon that attaches the hamstring at the back of my knee (lateral hamstring tendon).

He seems to think this is causing the swelling which is causing most of the pain but the tendon is also sore to the touch.

He did suggest trying to cycle with my feet straighter and not toes pointing outwards but I am not sure about this as it seems to go against all the advice I have read on the internet which is to cycle with your feet how they naturally fall. He isn't a cyclist more into running and swimming.

Think I might need to get a bike fit.

I had a lot of tendonitis problems when I was 31 due to what might have been some sort of reactive arthritis. Mostly it's cleared up but my supraspinatus in my shoulder is always a mild problem and have to be careful doing things like painting ceilings. Bad tendonitis at its worst can be agony. I've broken bones before but rotator cuff tendonis was worse.

I had some knee problems (front of knee behind kneecap mostly right knee) last years after a few months of starting cycling again. I moved my seat fwd a bit and this seemed to help but it's still not 100%. One of those things about getting older I think; gonna have to accept that the body can't be pushed like it could be when you were 21. I tend to cycle at a high cadance 'cos of back problems which I think helps protect the knee a bit.

https://www.bikejames.com/strength/why-pulling-up-doesnt-add-to-your-pedal-stroke-power/

https://roadcyclinguk.com/riding/bike-fitting-the-myth-of-the-upstroke.html

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/active/recreational-cycling/10840824/How-to-cycle-with-the-technique-of-a-pro.html

https://www.pinkbike.com/news/Which-Muscles-are-Really-Used-During-the-Pedal-Stroke-2012.html

https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/knowledge/bike-kit/equipment/article/20170111-Equipment-Clipless-vs-Flat-Pedals-for-mountain-biking-0

At about 1:45 in
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ImAt4mgJ9jg